Family wiped out in Lintas mishap
Published on: Sunday, August 07, 2022
By: Jimmy Goh and Jonathan Nicholas
The scene of the fatal 11.20pm crash underneath the Lintas flyover on Saturday.
Kota Kinabalu: A mother returning from the Philippines was devastated to learn that her husband and two children were killed in a crash just hours before touching down at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) early Saturday.Jeanilee Escobar Assam, 46, who returned after a weeklong business trip, was supposed to be picked up by her husband, two children and nephew.
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As it turned out, the employment agent had to head straight to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) Forensics Department shortly after landing at 3.28am to confirm their identities.
It was learnt that her flight from Manila initially scheduled to land at 12.50am was delayed.
The tragedy happened at 11.24pm when the Nissan Navara driven by husband Jimmykal Jaujali Assam, 44, crashed into one of the pillars at the Lintas flyover.
The impact left the vehicle wrapped around the pillar.
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Health workers pronounced Jimmykal and his kids, Sazfa, 11 and Alkail, 16, dead on arrival.
The family was of Filipino nationality. The father was from Sapa-Sapa in Tawi Tawi.
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A four-year-old child, the man’s nephew from Kota Belud, is the sole survivor.
He and Alkail were both thrown out of the vehicle during the collision.
Chief ACP Mohd Zaidi Abdullah
City police Chief ACP Mohd Zaidi Abdullah said the boy sustained severe head injuries and is warded at QEH’s Intensive Care Unit.
“The family were on their way to the airport from their home at Angkasa Apartment in Menggatal.
“Preliminary investigations revealed road surfaces to be slick from rainfall earlier. The driver is not suspected to be drunk but blood samples have been sent to the Department of Chemistry for testing,” he said in a statement.
Zaidi said the cause of the crash was reckless driving.
“However, investigations continue under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987,” he said.
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